6 Key Tips on Giving Constructive Feedback
The importance and benefits of giving constructive feedback to employees is widely acknowledged and recognised, as it acts as a catalyst for future aspiration, growth and development.
Contemporary thinking suggests approaching such conversations with a 'feed-forward' mindset, shifting the focus from negative criticism to optimism, through the identification of opportunities to progress and further grow.
Giving Feedback
1. Practice giving feedback often and soon it will become a habit.
2. Praise good performance right away.
3. When difficult feedback is required, talk with the employee within a few days of the poor performance event. Give yourself the opportunity to gain a balanced perspective and gather factual details, so as to ensure the feedback you provide is objective.
4. If you have managed an employee for a while, you may have drawn conclusions about them, whether favourable or not. It is important that you do not let these conclusions lead you astray during a feedback conversation.
5. Avoid character attacks, as they provide no useful information and don't offer actionable or tangible ideas for positive change.
6. An alternative strategy is to:
a. Identify and articulate the specific behaviour causing concern;
b. Identify and articulate the impact of that behaviour;
c. Identify what is required to change;
d. Throughout the conversation, be clear, specific, respectful and avoid prejudging the intent of why the employee behaved a certain way.
If you would like to hear more about how to conduct critical conversations, please reach out and I will happily step you through a range of effective strategies.
M: 0403 902 952
Comments